$5,300 High Roller Day 2 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-18-2025 23:39 UTC+2

Karam Ends Kolev's High Roller Tournament

Tim Baker

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Arriving at the table Boris Kolev was all-in from the big blind on a flop of 8♠4♣10♦ and Hala Karam had called with the covering stack to try and bust him.

Boris Kolev: 8♥4♥ All in
Hala Karam: 8♣8♦

Kolev was drawing to running cards with bottom two pair, as the last eight in the deck had come out to give Karam a set. The 6♣ turn meant Kolev was headed to the rail, as an irrelevant 7♣ came on the river. Kolev was out, and the pot was pushed to Karam.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hala Karam	400,000 135,000	135,000
Boris Kolev	Busted

Tags: Boris Kolev Hala Karam

01-18-2025 23:53 UTC+2

A Dream Flop Helps State Destroy Sun's Aces

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Tim Baker

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

There was a raise to 8,000 under the gun with Adrian State calling from the next position. Jianfeng Sun then squeezed it up to 26,000. The initial raiser folded, but State shoved for 220,000. Sun snap-called.

Adrian State: J♦J♣ All in
Jianfeng Sun: A♠A♥

State looked poised to be headed out of the tournament as he had ran into the bullets of Sun. However, the flop fell incredibly favorable for State as it came 9♣J♠J♥ to give him quad jacks. Sun put his head in his hands in disbelief at having his aces likely cracked in such a brutal way.

The Q♥ turn secured the double-up for State as the 6♠ came on the river. State stayed alive, while Sun was left with roughly four big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian State	465,000 215,000	215,000
Jianfeng Sun	35,000 175,000	175,000

Tags: Adrian State Jianfeng Sun

Level: 14

Blinds: 2,000/5,000

Ante: 5,000

01-19-2025 00:07 UTC+2

Tang Takes From Chernikov

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Aleksandr Chernikov raised to 10,000 middle position and Xin Tang three-bet to 30,000 from the hijack. When it folded back to Chernikov, he called.

The flop came down K♠8♥5♦ and Chernikov checked to Tang. Tang put out a continuation-bet of 22,000 and Chernikov quickly called.

The J♦ came on the turn and Chernikov check-folded to a bet of 60,000 from Tang

Player	Chips	Progress
Xin Tang	400,000 241,000	241,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	320,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Xin Tang

01-19-2025 00:11 UTC+2

Flutur Maintains His Big Stack

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Three-ways to a flop of 5♠7♠8♦ with Mircea Flutur checking from the small blind, Aleksandr Chernikov checking out of the big blind, and Alexander Sokolovsky following suit with a check from early position.

The action checked over to Sokolovsky again on the J♦ turn and he decided to put out a delayed continuation-bet of 22,000. Flutur chose to check-raise to 75,000 and this prompted two quick folds from Chernikov and Sokolovsky.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mircea Flutur	660,000 15,000	15,000

Alexander Sokolovsky	490,000 60,000	60,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	290,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Alexander Sokolovsky Mircea Flutur

01-19-2025 00:23 UTC+2

Tang's Cowboys End Chernikov's Tournament

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Aleksandr Chernikov raised to 10,000 from middle position before Xin Tang three-bet to 32,000 from the but hijack. Chernikov four-bet to 85,000 and Tang made the call.

AS soon as the J♣5♠8♥ flop came down Chernikov shoved for 254,000, which Tang snap-called.

Aleksandr Chernikov: Q♦10♦ All in
Xin Tang: K♠K♣

Tang's slowplay of pocket kings had worked out perfectly for him as Chernikov had just a few outs he could hit to stay in the tournament. There was no help for Chernikov as the rest of the board ran out 3♦A♥, meaning he was out of the tournament, and Tang became one of the biggest stacks in the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xin Tang	725,000 325,000	325,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	Busted

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Xin Tang

01-19-2025 00:36 UTC+2

Break Time

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Players are on their final 15-minute break of the day.

Level: 15

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

01-19-2025 00:50 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts After the Final Break

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Tim Baker

Level 15 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Xin Tang	795,000 70,000	70,000
Gregoire Auzoux	780,000

Mircea Flutur	710,000 50,000	50,000

Mustafa Biz	620,000 504,500	504,500
Alexander Sokolovsky	550,000 60,000	60,000
Ludovic Uzan	530,000 60,000	60,000
Adrian State	520,000 55,000	55,000
Maher Achour	520,000 520,000	520,000
Ozgur Arda	515,000 165,000	165,000
Suat Egilli	500,000 275,000	275,000
Gaspare Sposato	500,000 135,000	135,000
Mehmet Demirkol	460,000 50,000	50,000
Ramazan Akyel	410,000 50,000	50,000
Uri Reichenstein	400,000 200,000	200,000
Sergei Varnaev	400,000 35,000	35,000
Hala Karam	390,000 10,000	10,000
Yiannis Liperis	380,000 90,000	90,000
Bogdan Jontulovic	300,000 85,000	85,000

01-19-2025 00:58 UTC+2

Prizepool and Payouts

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Tim Baker

Level 15 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

A total of 174 players were recorded in the $5,300 High Roller event, which means 23 players will be paid out and share a slice of the $800,400 prizepool.

The eventual champion will walk away with a cool $200,000, while a min-cash is worth $9,000 for those who finish in 19-23rd.